


It's Open

by ThegoodshipRickyl



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 02:41:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5147300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThegoodshipRickyl/pseuds/ThegoodshipRickyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick & Daryl first kiss</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Open

**Author's Note:**

> Just some pointless fluff in between a dozen other Rickyl projects. What is life, by the way?

The first time Rick kisses Daryl is on their second date. He knows he should have gone for it on their first one, but Daryl had ducked out of his car so fast Rick barely had time to say goodnight. He remembers waking up the morning after with an apologetic text from Daryl, asking if he would want to meet up again sometime, take another stab at it. Rick nearly dropped his phone in the toilet when he saw that, having gone to bed thinking he would never see the man again. Daryl had barely talked to him at the Chinese restaurant, barely did anything but blush and fiddle with his sleeves.

 

But Michonne had insisted that Daryl _was_ really in to him, and she was the one who worked with him after all, so Rick took her word as good and texted him back, asking how a movie sounded. There was a new one with Julia Roberts and Rick had never been able to resist that woman.

 

_Daryl_

_Julia Roberts, really?_

 

Rick's first thought was whether or not he could date a man who just didn't _get_ the whole Julia Roberts thing, but luckily he chose to text back with his second thought:

 

_Rick_

_okay how bout that one with the cars and shit_

 

_Daryl_

_No we can see the JR-fest_

 

A few seconds later:

 

_Daryl_

_But I'm picking the next one_

 

Rick tries to not go the rest of the afternoon looking like an idiot with a huge smile on his face thinking about the _next_ one.

 

******

 

Daryl is at his house by seven, and to Rick, the old white Honda rolling up his drive is a glorious sight. He gets in as Daryl is lighting a cigarette, notices the tremor in his hands when he sets them back on the wheel.

 

Rick tries to think of a way to ease his nerves. "We're not taking the bike?" he jokes.

 

If it were possible to go pale as a sheet _and_ blush furiously at the same time Daryl would be doing it. "No," he sputters, opting for the latter, "I mean, uh, sorry...."

 

Rick curses himself for startling him, but the thing is, he knows that Daryl _can_ banter, and within the medium of texting, he's actually kind of a master at it. He tries to think of something else to talk about on the way there, but ten minutes later they're pulling in to the parking lot with only a few bits of small talk about work and the weather under their belts.

 

Rick shrugs it off though, knowing that at least when they get to the movie they'll have the previews to make fun of. When they do, he's happy to find out that Daryl can be quite funny and witty when he lets himself, and he even laughs a little at some of Rick's jokes, though it's usually more like a quiet snort or a chuckle muffled by his hand. As their movie is starting, Rick sets a goal for himself to someday hear Daryl laugh for real, and he would love it even more if he could be the one to bring that out of him.

 

The movie turns out to be pretty good, or at least engrossing, and Rick doesn't pay attention to much else besides that and the occasional comment from Daryl, who seems to be enjoying himself well enough. When it's over, they dutifully shuffle out of the theater along with the dozen or so other people, and on the way out, Rick ducks into the bathroom with a quick apology to Daryl, skirting past a cluster of teenagers loitering by the water fountain. When he returns, Daryl is looking at the movie posters lining the walls, and upon seeing Rick, he points to the one right in front of him.

 

"Next time, _that_."

 

It's the next Bond film, and Rick nods appreciatively, flashing a smile at Daryl, who blushes before falling in step behind him when they turn to leave. Rick holds open the door for him, and he ducks his head under Rick's impish scrutiny.

 

"What are you lookin' at?" he grumbles.

 

"Nothing," Rick replies, feigning innocence. "Just didn't know you had a thing for blonds. Or Bonds. Or blond Bonds."

Daryl huffs. "I don't have a _thing_. For anyone."

 

There's an unspoken "but you" that Rick can just barely sense, so he can't help but quickly dart in with a kiss to Daryl's temple.

 

"What the hell?" Daryl splutters, glancing around the nearly empty parking lot frantically. He's beet red and though Rick thinks it's one of the cutest things he's ever seen, he's still a little worried that he might have genuinely freaked him out, so he keeps an eye on him as he's digging around in his pocket for his keys.

 

"Next time, warn a guy," he mutters as he finally gets them out and unlocks the car, with just enough of a joking tone in his voice to put most of Rick's worry at ease.

 

Rick slides in when Daryl unlocks the passenger door from the inside. "It _is_ custom for people to kiss their dates, you know," he teases as he gets buckled.

 

Daryl snorts a little laugh as he starts the car. "I _wouldn't_ know, man."

They make it back to Rick's in one piece, Daryl's hands a little steadier on the wheel than they were before. When they pull up to the curb, Rick unbuckles and turns to Daryl, who is eyeing him with a wary eagerness through the shaggy hair hanging over his eyes.

 

Rick leans in, close enough to catch the scent of Daryl's shampoo. "Is this enough warning?" he murmurs, eyes flicking from Daryl's lips and back up to his eyes. Daryl nods tightly and takes a breath, and Rick kisses him, a simple, light press of his lips to Daryl's.

 

"Goodnight," Rick whispers as he pulls away, leaving Daryl looking a little dazed and exhaling shakily.

 

"'Night," he mumbles. Rick pats his leg and gets out of the car, waving goodbye to him through the window before he drives off, leaving Rick with a ticket stub and an irrepressible smile.


End file.
